Apple Cake Recipe
This Apple Cake is moist, sweet and full of chunks of fresh apple. This simple recipe is so quick and easy to make!
Meet one of our favorite apple desserts: Apple Cake! I’ve been saving this recipe for a while now, waiting to share it with you once apple season arrived. Now that it’s September, I couldn’t wait any longer to share this easy cake recipe with you!
This homemade apple cake is spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg to enhance the sweet apple flavor. I’ve used brown sugar as well as granulated sugar to bring notes of caramel to this soft, moist cake.
This apple cake is so good as is, it doesn’t need anything extra to make its flavor shine. However, adding a spoonful of freshly whipped cream on top makes it downright heavenly. Enjoy!
Apple Cake Recipe Ingredients
I love this recipe because the ingredients are simple, and most of them are pantry staples. You likely have everything you need in your kitchen right now.
- All-Purpose Flour
- Baking Powder: To help the cake rise.
- Salt: Salt brings out all of the other flavors in the cake.
- Cinnamon & Nutmeg: Cinnamon and nutmeg bring a touch of warm spice to this apple dessert.
- Butter: Adds flavor and makes the cake moist, soft and tender.
- Granulated Sugar & Brown Sugar: For sweetness. Using brown sugar as well as granulated sugar brings a hint of caramel flavor to complement the apples.
- Eggs: Eggs both provide structure and help the cake to rise as it bakes.
- Vanilla: A little vanilla extract enhances the flavor of the cake.
- Apples: You’ll peel and chop the apples into 1/2-inch pieces before folding them into the cake batter.
Best Apples for Baking
For baking, it’s best to use apples that are firm enough to hold their shape in the heat of a hot oven, so that they won’t bake down into mush. I like to use sweet-tart apples in this apple cake recipe, such as Honeycrisp. Other apples that would work well include Braeburn, Pink Lady, Jazz, Fuji, Jonagold and Granny Smith. Use what you love!
How to Make an Apple Cake
Here’s an overview of the steps to make this apple cake recipe. Find the full recipe with ingredient amounts and instructions in the recipe card below.
- First, combine the dry ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk them together.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter and both sugars.
- Then whisk in the eggs and vanilla.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Use a rubber spatula to mix until just combined.
- Finally, add the chopped apples and fold them in gently.
- Line the bottom of a greased 9-inch round cake pan with a parchment paper circle. Pour in the batter, then bake!
The cake can be served warm or at room temperature. Slice and serve it as is, or top the slices with a dollop of whipped cream, a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a sprinkle of powdered sugar.
Recipe Tips
- When measuring the flour, use the spoon and level technique. Use a spoon to gently fill the measuring cup with flour and then level off the top. This way, you’ll avoid packing in too much flour.
- Be sure to line the bottom of the cake pan with a circle of parchment paper and also grease the pan. This makes it easy to get the cake out of the pan. To cut the parchment paper circle, place your pan on top of the parchment, trace around the bottom and then cut along the line.
- When you fold the apples into the batter, it will seem like a lot of apples. This is a good thing! A generous amount of apple pieces ensures that the cake will have plenty of apple flavor, and the apples also help to keep the cake moist.
- You can stir some chopped toasted walnuts into the batter, if desired. Or sprinkle some cinnamon-sugar on top of the cake before baking for an extra touch of sweetness.
More Apple Recipes
If you enjoyed this apple cake recipe, give one of these apple recipes a try next!
Apple Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup packed brown sugar, light or dark brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups chopped apples, 2 large apples, peeled, cored and chopped into ½-inch pieces
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan with cooking spray or butter. Line the bottom of the pan with a round of parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Whisk until well combined.
- In a large bowl, combine the melted butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar. Whisk until well combined. Add the eggs and vanilla and whisk again until well combined.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Use a rubber spatula to mix until just combined. Add the chopped apples and use the spatula to fold them into the batter. The batter will be thick and it will look like it has a lot of apples in it.
- Using the spatula, transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan and spread it into an even layer.
- Bake for 28-32 minutes, until a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Let cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Then use a small spatula or dull knife to carefully release the cake from the edges of the pan. Invert the pan onto a plate, remove the parchment paper, and invert again onto a cooling rack so that the cake is right side up. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Lovely recipe, thank you. Can this cake be frozen?
Hi Barb, I’m glad you enjoyed it! Yes, this cake will freeze well. Wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and then place in an airtight container before freezing.
Im allergic to eggs do you have any suggestions for a replacement that won’t change the cake much?
Hi Cyn, You could try using flax eggs. For each egg, stir together 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed and 2.5 tablespoons of water. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes before using. If you try it, let me know how it turns out!
This was delicious! A perfect September dessert. The only thing I did differently was reduce the granulated sugar to 1/3 cup. It was enough sweetness for us. I think I might try the toasted walnuts on top next time.
Delicious cake. I did lower the grandulated sugar to 1/3 cup and added a cup of walnuts. This will be a favorite in our house. Easy to make and Yummy. Thank you
I baked this yesterday and it is delicious! I did brown the butter which added an extra layer of yum 😋